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25 May 2014

Prickly Pear Salad with Pomegranate Syrup

I only saw and tasted prickly pears when I moved to Italy. Locally known as fichi d'india, egg-shaped and colored so vividly in green, red, yellow and orange, they were impossible to resist. I loved them at the first try and I was not even bothered by the innumerable seeds in the fruit. With all the seeds involved, you'll just love it or hate it.

In my house, we are divided about our opinions about prickly pears. The skin, which is sometimes full of little spines plus the seeds are a nuisance to some so they just shrug the fruit off. Why bother? But I do because they are such refreshing fruit in summer. When I eat them as is or make a small-portioned salad mixed with pomegranate syrup or if I feel like a bit on the alcoholic side, with limoncello, a new surprise awaits me.

The good ones that we get in Italy are from Sicily. On some roads especially the one from Caltagirone to Catania, you will see thousands of paddle cacti bearing their fruit. I sometimes wonder how they pick the fruit from the mean-looking spines of the plants.

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All photos and text copyright: Rowena Dumlao - Giardina. If you re-post a recipe, please give credit and link to this site and PLEASE DO NOT RE-POST THE FULL RECIPE. If you are interested in using the photos, please contact me at: weng.dumlao@gmail.com